TRUE NORTH Pressure ridge and melt water at the Geographic North Pole. Photo credit: Christopher Wood. Source: Shuttershock There is a beauty in isolation (when it is temporary), giving time for reflection and connection with the rhythms of nature (which the Stoics recommend for a quality life). This week I edited an article about alignment of ancient sacred sites (to compass and other directions), and found out that there have been at least four North Poles over the last 100,000 years, some on different continents. This got me thinking about the librarian’s compass and how we use it to help […]
Categories Emerging Technology
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A Listening to Student Voices post by SJSU School of Information student David Vargas. When thinking of the “New Horizons” module and pondering on the thought provoking articles Professor Michael Stephens has shared, one “hits home” for me today. This article not only sparks curiosity, but instantly turns the imaginary lightbulb on in my head. A possible upcoming reality so bright because of potential the lumens emitted can’t conceivably be measured. The article I’m referring to is titled: “Is Virtual Reality the Future of Field Trips?” The genius article was written by Mike McShane and really highlights how the developing […]
Blind visitors touch a sculpture of the Louvre’s Tactile Gallery collection at the National Museum in Bogota, Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2008.A Listening to Student Voices post by SJSU School of Information student Ashley Marshall. In thinking about this week’s lecture on new horizons for information organizations and how emerging technologies impact information spaces, I was drawn to the idea of absorbing information through other senses besides sight which is, for sighted people, the first sense we rely on when gathering information. Vision impaired people have unique needs when it comes to accessing information in the library and in other contexts. […]
A Listening to Student Voices post by SJSU School of Information student Katie Kuszmar. The other day I told my Google Home device to go to the next song, and my 5-year-old daughter said, “Mommy, you were kind of mean to Google just now.” It is so confusing to explain that the “Google Lady” is not a person. To model social graces, I might just have to be more polite and patient with this tiny little, ever listening speaker that sits in my kitchen. I only use it for listening to the news or music when I cook. I quabble […]
“When you say it’s gonna happen ‘now’ well, when exactly do you mean? See I’ve already waited too long, and all my hope is gone.” -Morrissey When I began a draft of this blog post, it was going to be about the five trends found in the IFLA Trend Report, which I thought would be interesting to tackle because they are interesting trends. However, I got side-tracked thinking about the ideas produced from the 2015 article, “What Technology Will Look Like In Five Years,” by Diomedes Kastanis. I want to add to Kastinas’ thoughts about how the ownership of things […]
Grounded, but with one eye on the horizon “When you press the pause button on a machine, it stops. But when you press the pause button on human beings they start… You start to reflect, you start to rethink your assumptions, you start to reimagine what is possible…” And it is not just knowledge that is improved by pausing. So too, is the ability to build trust, “to form deeper and better connections, not just fast ones, with other human beings.” – Thomas Friedman (2017, pp 3-4), quoting Dov Seidman I just finished reading two thought-provoking books, made all […]
An exploration of the Open+ system at Gwinnett County Public Library and a broader view of staff communication and buy in: What if something were to happen? Have you encountered this issue as you plan to roll out a new service or a big change to existing services? Maybe it’s prompted a sign or two to go up in the library, such as a book cart I recently saw at a library out east, emblazoned with a STAFF ONLY notice. Did that begin with the thought that “someone might take that book cart for a joy ride…”? I recorded a […]
This “Office Hours” column explores how we can approach emerging and already here technology as an early adopter or and adapter. Be open to tech innovations and change. You don’t have to accept every “next big thing” but at least be aware of it. Did you just hear about beacon technology? Follow up with a web search to see how libraries are using it. Seeing the practical use of an emerging tech might balance out the initial wow factor to put it in its proper place as part of a toolkit of options. Just hearing about QR codes? Feel free […]
This column explores balancing technology with services and people. Services to the vulnerable and technology offerings are not polar opposites. Librarians have to stop seeing it that way. These are all points on a continuum, and without technological skills, some folks will fall right back into the world out of which they’re desperately trying to pull themselves. Technology is not some future we have the option of ignoring—it is the present. It’s the world in which we live. There will always be people who need to be directed to housing resources, but those are not the majority of our users. […]
Note from Michael: Here’s an example of student work from this past school year. This post got lost in TTW drafts – Sorry Red! 🙂 Megan Bergeron, or Red as she prefers to be called, currently works in retail and is working on her Master’s degree in Library Science at San José State University. She loves anything to do with technology, learning, and fandom and is currently trying to specialize in digital services and emerging technologies. She lives in Connecticut with her husband and two cats, Flynn and Archer.